Sit and listen Master storytellers to weave wondrous tales

The young, young-at-heart and not-so-young will all have a chance to suspend reality as they fall under the spell of many magical tales offered during the 13th annual Storytelling Festival Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Trinidad Town Hall.

The Festival features master storyteller Cynthia Restivo "who came to storytelling by way of theater after touring Europe as an actor with International Theatre." The magic begins at 6:15 p.m. Friday, concluding at 10:30 p.m. and starting again Saturday running from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Pricing varies. An all-Festival pass, covering Friday night and all day Saturday is $30 general and seniors, $5 children 4 to 15. An all-day Saturday pass is $25 general, $20 seniors, $12 children 4 to 15 and a Family Pack (two adults, two to three children) is $65 for the entire festival. Otherwise, pricing is broken down per event: $8 general and seniors, $4 kids 4 to 15.

Restivo will present "Under the Influence of Jazz," Friday evening, all part of Event 1 that begins with Liz Lara O'Rourke performing the traditional opening song at 7 p.m., followed by Friday Night Live from 7:05 to 7:50 p.m. featuring storytellers O'Rourke, Ali Freedund, Anita Punla and Dan O'Gara. The Neena McNair Family Singers perform from 8 to 8:50 p.m. then Restivo takes the stage. Event 2 includes "A Weaving of Night Tales" from 9 to 9:25 p.m. then the "Mostly Ghostly Tales," from 9:30 to 10:15 p.m.

Restivo will kick off the second day of the Festival with a special workshop, "Stories Well-Lived," from 8:30 to 10 a.m. The session will explore how to gather and preserve life stories to be shared within a family, classroom or from the stage. The workshop fee is $10 general and seniors, $8 children.

The storytelling begins with Event 3, Mary Lawrence's "Folktales and Foolishness," from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.; Seabury Gould's "The Firebird -- A Hero's Journey," 10:55 to 11:15 a.m.; the Youth Stage/Blues Drumming Group, 11:20 to 11:30 a.m.; the Neena McNair Family Singers, 11:30 to 11:45 a.m.; Restivo's "If the Shoe Fits," from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by lunch and a story swap from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Teri's Custom Catering will provide the meals.

After a short break, Event 4 continues with Ali Freedlund's "Weaving the Wild," 4:35 to 4:55 p.m.; Dan O'Gara's "Shortening the Road," 5 to 5:20 p.m.; The California Indian Stage with the Neena McNair Family Singers, 5:25 to 6 p.m. and then dinner with Round Robin Storytelling in which participants create and share a story, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Event 5, the final session of the two-day festival, begins with Restivo's "More Tales to Ponder," 7:30 to 8:10 p.m.; the Neena McNair Family Singers, 8:15 to 8:30 p.m.; The Festival Finale, with 12 storytellers, from 8:35 to 9:30 p.m. and concludes with Liz Lara O'Rourke performing the traditional closing song.